1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with suspension fixture assemblies allowing attachment of a valance or curtain across a doorway, to thus obtain a consistent decorative look along the length of a wall. More particularly, the invention pertains to such a fixture and method wherein individual brackets are respectively mounted across the doorway with a telescoping rod supported by the brackets. During opening and closing of the door, the rod telescopes together and apart to accommodate door movement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Interior designers commonly provide valance or curtain treatment for windows and doors with windows. Such treatments include a stationary rod supporting a depending decorative fabric which covers the upper part of the window and the associated hardware. In many rooms with multiple windows, some of the windows may be a part of the doors and there is a desire that such doorways also have similar or identical valance or curtain treatment. This is commonly done by mounting a stationary valance or curtain across the doorway between the opposed side margins of the door. However, this inevitably leaves an unsightly gap or open region between the window and door treatments. This of course detracts from a desirable consistent style or look. These problems are exacerbated when mounting valances across doors which are recessed with respect to adjacent windows or walls or when the plane of a wall incorporates both recessed and flush doors.
The prior art includes a number of different curtain and valance rod designs.
See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,565,734,2,254,019,3,135,489,4,363,459,4,824,062 and 5,039,049, as well as Belgian Patent No. 502,830. However, none of these fixture or valance designs address the problem of providing a valance or window treatment completely across a doorway to achieve design consistency, while at the same time permitting uninhibited operation of the door.
The present invention overcomes the problems outlined above, and provides a suspension fixture assembly for a doorway so that a curtain or valance treatment can be applied across the doorway. Typically, the doorway is provided in an opening in a upright wall, the doorway having a door frame including opposed, upright stiles and a hingedly mounted door within the frame. The door presents an upright hinged side margin hingedly connected to one of the stiles, and an opposed upright free side margin. The overall fixture of the invention broadly includes a first bracket for securement to the door (preferably adjacent the free margin thereof) and having a first operator element. A second bracket is also provided for securement to hinged stile or the wall proximal thereto and has a second operator element. An elongated rod having a pair of telescopically interfitted sections spans the first and second operator elements and is operatively connected thereto so that upon opening of the door, the rod sections will telescope together to assume a retracted condition. Upon closure of the door, the sections will again telescope apart to assume an expanded condition. The rod is configured to receive thereover a shirrable decorative material which is designed to accommodate telescoping movement of the rod during door movement.
In preferred forms, the brackets carry vertical pivot pins which are received within corresponding openings in the rod sections. Thus, upon door movement, the rod pivots relative to the pins and also telescopes together or apart.
Specially configured brackets are provided for double valance assemblies and for french or atrium doors.